Thursday, 23 June 2016

I know, I know, I haven't posted in ages and I ran out of excuses... But I want to thank all the readers for the continuous support to this blog; and to new subscribers to my YouTube channel, a very warm welcome.

I cooked this meal the other night, it was oh-so-good, it'd be very selfish of me not to share it with all of you. This is the sort of cooking that's relaxing (especially with a glass of wine in hand), not at all demanding and with ingredients you might already have on hand.

I've mentioned this many times before; but I use chicken thighs here because I think they have more flavour compare to breast meat, and they are more economical. So, it's a win-win in my book. But of course, if you prefer white meat, do what pleases you.

The thighs here are skinless, but I keep the bone-in because I think it adds to the flavour, and also I like to nibble on the bones. Anybody else? Just me?

Moving on... If there's one cooking task, I don't really enjoy, it is searing. But it is important. The caramelisation builds the flavour and it gives beautiful colour too, to the chicken. Otherwise, the chicken looks kinda dull. So, please don't skip this part.

I hope you give this a go and have a delicious day everyone! Until next time....

Chicken Thighs in Cream Sauce with Paprika and Mushrooms

Serves 4

8 chicken thighs (bone-in/boneless, skinless)

Olive oil, regular not extra-virgin

2 medium sized onions. thickly sliced into half moons

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon caster sugar

300 ml double cream

250 gr white/brown mushrooms, sliced

Butter

A small handful of flat-leaf parsley

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat a pan that comes with a lid with a little olive oil. Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and black pepper. Sear the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. If your pan, isn't big enough, you should do this in batches. Otherwise the chicken will just braise and you won't get the beautiful caramelised colour. Set the chicken aside on a platter.

Using the same pan, saute the onions and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook for few minutes, scraping the delicious brown bits from the chicken, until the onions are translucent and lightly browned.

Add the garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, sugar and give everything a stir. Pour in the double cream and put the chicken (and all the juices that's been accumulated on the plate) back in the pan. Stir, put the lid on and let it simmer for fifteen minutes. Time to top up your glass, I say.

On another pan, heat up some butter and cook the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. I cook the mushrooms separately, so they get a beautiful colour. Vanity.

Then add the mushrooms to the chicken, along with a handful of roughly chopped flat-leat parsley. Stir and taste to adjust the seasonings.

I serve this with a side of brown rice and edamame beans, and more vino. Enjoy!